Colombia Expat Forum

Epicatt2
Joined 2015
Posts: 172

4 years ago

Tipping in Locombia, seriously . . .

4 years ago

Gentle Colombia Expats,

I've become cuirous about tipping in Colombia. I occasionally read posts on this and other groups about what expats tip in restarurants, etc. –but mostly in restaurants and the amounts given always seem rather excessive to me..

From my experience in other Centroamerican countries tipping at restaurants is either included as a percentage of the check or is one may feel warranted in giving something in addition to the percentage added to the check when they have received truly excellent service. But even then it isn't a whole lot. (I always tried to give and extra tip (when I felt extra was warranted in an amount equivalent to one or two bus fares since I either knew or realized that most servers rode the buses to get to work..)

I understand that taxistas may expect to be given tips for handling one's luggage, which is reasonable, but they are pretty much only other service personnel (other than, say, porters at the airport) whom I can think of who are given tips.

I feel that expat gringos who have been fully inculcated 'back home' into the tipping 'philosophy' wind up vastly over-tipping in Colombia and other hispanoamerican countries where the cost of living is far lower than in the US or other fully developed countries.

Could any of you long-term expat residents in Colombia please give me your perspective on what colombianos consider the right amount to tip (if at all) and to whom? Or even if at all?

¡Pura Vida!

Paul M.
==

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